Banjul, 31 August 2023: IHRDA, 28 August 2023, filed a case against Botswana before the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), relating to the continuous rape of a child between 2017 and 2020 by a prominent personality, with government of Botswana failing to investigate and prosecute the perpetrator.
The child with initials ACM (name withheld) was aged 14 when she was first raped in 2017. Since reporting the rape in December 2020, developments show that Botswanan authorities have failed to conduct an effective investigation into the circumstances of the offence and have refused to bring the suspect to justice.
The suit alleges that, due to the lack of effective investigation and prosecution of the perpetrator, Botswana has violated several obligations under the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, notably the duty to protect against child abuse and torture, and freedom from discrimination.
The Plaintiff requests the ACERWC to establish Botswana’s responsibility for the said violations, and to urge Botswana to compensate the victim for damages suffered, provide her medical and psychosocial support, and put in place several other structural measures to support victims and curb the prevalence of such violations.
UPDATES:
8 January 2024: IHRDA requests urgent measures of protection for ACM.
11 March 2024: IHRDA withdraws request for urgent measures of protection.
